About us

At Global Witness, we protect human rights and the environment by fearlessly confronting corruption and challenging the systems that enable it.

We want a better world - where corruption is challenged and accountability prevails, all can thrive within the planet’s boundaries, and governments act in the public interest.

When founded in 1993, we were pioneers in seeing the link between natural resources, conflict and corruption. Since our very first campaign to shut down the Khmer Rouge’s illegal logging industry we’ve uncovered the truth about blood diamonds and helped bring trillions of oil, gas and mining revenues into the open.

We’ve shone a spotlight on the brutal killings of those defending their land from forced seizure by corporations and governments alike, campaigned for an end to the use of anonymous companies, and much more.

Today, our hard-hitting investigations reveal who is stealing the money, where they are hiding it, and how they are spending it. We track and expose the path of corruption, pushing for global change to end it. We are independent, not-for-profit, and work with partners around the world in our fight for justice.

How we work

We have always been bold and innovative in the way we work. We make a point of taking a stand against individuals, governments and companies who benefit from corruption that drives environmental and human rights abuses around the world.

Our investigations are known for their meticulous attention to detail and are months and sometimes years in the making. Moreover, we use an ever-evolving variety of skills and techniques to uncover evidence including:

Secret filming: for a 2016 investigation we went undercover in New York to reveal the role lawyers can play in discussing how potential clients could move suspect money

Data analysis: working with partners like OpenCorporates we have used artificial intelligence and cloud computing to analyse the real owners behind UK companies

Anonymous sources: Many reports including Hostile Takeover (Cambodia) and River of Gold (DRC) start with tip-offs from anonymous sources, who take risks to share information with us. We are always vigilant in protecting their identities to keep them safe.

Our impact

Our investigations regularly make headline news throughout the world. Combined with tenacious advocacy work, they do more than just challenge corrupt and criminal behaviour: they change the systems that allow it to happen in the first place.

We secured ground-breaking measures to get companies to check mineral supply chains and ensure that they’re not funding conflict and human rights abuses. We co-launched the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) campaign, helping bring trillions of dollars-worth of oil, gas and mineral deals into the open. More recently, we have helped bring killings of those defending their forests, land and rivers against destructive industries to world attention.

Our work has also led to the powerful being held to account, including the oil giant, Shell, which is currently facing one of the largest corporate bribery trials in history over its role in a billion dollar corruption scandal in Nigeria that we helped expose.

Our vision

We want a better world -- where corruption is challenged and accountability prevails, all can thrive within the planet’s boundaries, and governments act in the public interest.

Our mission

Many of the world’s worst environmental and human rights abuses are driven by the exploitation of natural resources and corruption in the global political and economic system. Global Witness is campaigning to end this.

We carry out hard-hitting investigations, expose the facts, and push for change. We are independent, not-for-profit, and work with partners around the world in our fight for justice.